AN: Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and the readers...i hope you all continue to read - and like - this fic

Lindsay and Stella walked along the New York high street, making polite conversation about boys – mainly Danny and Mac – and Danny's other friends.

"So, what's Peyton like?"

"You'd like her. She's the feisty one from London"

"How long has she been in America then?"

"Erm, she's sixteen now, been in New York for nearly two years but was in San Francisco for a few years before that"

"And she still has that accent?"

"Yeah, its weird. I guess Brits don't lose their accents easily"

"Obviously not. What about Don? What's his story?"

"Flack is...Flack. Danny's best friend since forever, comes from a family of cops. An all-round nice guy"

"Nothing bad about him then?"

"Nothing at all. he's only ever been nice to me. He was especially nice to Peyton"

"How do you mean?"

"Don had an internship at some company in 'Sisco'. Peyton had the same internship, and he was staying with her family for a while. Peyton and Flack got real friendly real quick, they were dating for a few months then Flack had to come back to New York, he wanted to go back to San Francisco and marry Peyton. He was only 15 so I talked him out of the idea. Peyton moved to New York, not realising she was mere blocks away from Flack's apartment, and they met up again. Dated for another little while. Something big happened between them - none of us are sure of what but we all have our ideas – and they stopped talking to each other. Its only recently that they have become friends again. I think that's more because of Peyton's parents keep popping back to England and Flack's mother always going to Hawaii rather than them two decided to talk to each other again"

"Oh...what do you think happened between them?"

The couple turned into a shop which was displaying nice clothes in the window, the name of the shop wasn't very clear though. They were still talking while they were browsing, but it was mainly for opinions on different items of clothing. Both parties were acting more friendly towards each other and they seemed to like one and other now. They had fifteen items of clothing between them and proceeded to the dressing rooms. Since it was early, they were the only two people in there and it was safe to continue their previous conversation between the cubicles they had occupied.

"What was I saying before? Oh yeah, Flack and Peyton. Well, I think it has something to do with one of her parties about a year ago. We were all there, Danny, Mac, Flack, everyone. Flack and Peyton were still dancing, Mac and I were on the sofa, and everyone else had left. We were about to leave, it was around 2am, because Mac had to catch a plane. Before we could say goodbye, they had already disappeared into Peyton's room. You could hear her screaming Flack's name from the corridors, and that was before we turned the music down. We left them a note, with some aspirin, saying we had gone and they would need this in the morning. It was about a week after that they began to ignore each other at school, within the passing days we found ourselves torn between our feuding friends. It was like a civil war – only without the violence"

"That's why they stopped talking? Because they slept together?"

"I wasn't finished. I was round Peyton's place one night, I think we were going out clubbing and I was getting ready round hers. She was in the bathroom and I was in her bedroom. Me being me, I was looking at some of the pieces of paper on her notice board. It was mainly the normal stuff, people's numbers, take away menus, that sorta thing. But, there was an appointment card for Ray clinic. Ray's is a place teenagers can go to for all sorts of things, from advice on bullying to family planning. She had an appointment with Dr Sanderson – she dealt with sexual health and abortions – but before I could look further onto the card she came out. We left and she has never mentioned it since"

"Oh my God. She was carrying Flack's baby?"

"that's what Mac and I think"

"What are the other theories?"

"I don't know if I should be telling you what everyone else thinks"

They stepped out of their dressing rooms, and looked at the pile of clothes the other had chosen. Lindsay had picked out a pair of denim crop trousers and a long sleeved black jumper, with a sequin pattern on the front. Stella had a dark purple dress, which was cut at mid thigh, a pair of footless black tights to go with it, and a pair of black pumps.

"Nice outfit, I like the jumper" Stella commented.

"Thanks, I like your shoes" Lindsay returned the compliment."Anyway, back to the conversation I'm hardly going to broadcast the other theories, am I? Please tell me"

"Ok, I guess I can tell you the other major one. The other ones I don't know though. Ok?"

"Ok"

Stella and Lindsay were making their way to the till, engrossed in the conversation on the way.

"Apparently, Peyton had been round Flack's place one night, watching a DVD or something like that. She got there about half five – she left from my house – and she must have left about eleven. The poor girl was in tears on Danny's doorstep, she said she had just been attacked on her way home, but Danny's apartment was in the total opposite direction to her house. If she had been attacked she would have gone back to Flack's place, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I would have done"

"Me too. Anyway, she had bruises on her legs – she was wearing a skirt so Danny was able to see them without her having to show him - and a black eye starting to form, and a cut across her brow and on her bottom lip. Said the guy came out of no where, but I don't see how that's possible. It was a 10 minutes walk on the main road from Flack's place to hers. New York is buzzing at that time so someone would have seen it. Anyways, Danny thinks Flack beat her up. He must have been drinking or something though, he would never do anything like that for no reason, and Peyton wouldn't do anything to piss him off. They were besotted with each other. Nevertheless, someone beat her up. Evidentially, the finger points to Flack"

"No way. He would never beat someone up. I don't know the guy properly but I know he wouldn't beat someone up. Especially not his girlfriend. Danny's got to be wrong"

"That's exactly what I think Lind's. I think my theory has more evidence and is more realistic"

"Has anyone tried just asking her what was wrong?"

"No way, that's like totally rude"

"Not really, if I wanted to know something I would just ask the person and they are usually so shocked that you have asked them, they give you the answer"

"Well, you can ask her. Come on, we're getting some lunch. I'm starved" Stella dragged Lindsay out of the shop and they were once again walking down the street.

I do not ship Flack/Peyton...i just prefer that to Hawkes/Peyton